Lygophobia
by Mr.BaseballBat
Summary: Fears of the dark can't be ignored. "I'm sorry that I'm the way that I am. I can't help it..." Contains mild NessxLucas, easily passed off as friendship.


This is my first fan fiction which has very very mild NessxLucas. Please don't go easy on me, I need some tough reviews that can help me become a better writer and eventually contribute to society.

I don't own SSBB but I definitely want to own SSB4.

* * *

"Lucas?" A fidget and a small whisper from one side of a small, dark room.

A restrained sigh disguised as a yawn, a reply fell lazily from the other side of the room, "Yeah, Ness?"

"Sorry, were you sleeping?" A hesitant question to match a hesitant little boy. He wasn't normally like this. Only one person ever saw this side of him. Usually, he would boast over victories won by himself or in his usual duo with Lucas or even start good-natured arguments between people and resolve them himself when he was bored. He was fun and creative. But that was in the day. He was always a sight for sore eyes in the day.

It was night, however. And at night a small boys imagination could get the better of him. Which was every night for Ness. An over-creative mind can be so useful yet so inexplicably dangerous. The idea of something or someone lurking in the dark recesses of your own room, your happy place, can be gut wrenching. Especially for one who had seen so much.

Before Lucas could imagine what things could have done this to Ness, he was snapped to attention by an incredibly small and wary calling of his name. It was a wonder he even heard it.

"Are you there?" Again, the pain in Ness' voice called out to Lucas.

"Yeah, I'm here, don't worry. Want me to come over?" Lucas asked just a little louder so that the quiet didn't affect Ness further.

"Um... yeah." A small noticeable crack in the distant voice.

As Lucas' sheets were removed he had a certain feeling in the pit of his stomach. Pushing the unknown feeling down for later inspection, Lucas stumbled his way over to his friends bed. When he arrived, Ness had made room for him, as usual. Ever since they were issued the room together, not long ago, this had happened each night, albeit awkwardly at first. Usually, Lucas would sit up in the bed leaning against the headboard while Ness slept comfortably next to him knowing that he wasn't alone. Sometimes, when Ness was having a particularly bad episode, Lucas would stroke his hair to lull him to sleep so that he could get to his own bed sooner.

However, when he made himself comfortable, leaning against the headboard, his arm was clutched by two others. Surprised by the sudden wanting action, Lucas became hyper-aware. Feeling moisture on his arm scared Lucas more than it intrigued him but he needed to investigate. A jolt and a whimper. Lucas watched the outline of Ness' body shaking in quick spasms. Fearing the worst, Lucas removed his arm from its clutches and tried to pry his friends arms away that were protecting his face.

_Okay, he's not having a fit if he can control his limbs, then._ Lucas sighed with relief inwardly before hearing a guarded whimper, silence, uncontrollable sobbing. That had never happened. Even on the bad occasions. Freaking out and not knowing what to do, Lucas turned the light on; neither of them would be getting sleep for a while anyway, he may as well go all out.

Looking back to the other boy, he noticed first that he was now facing away from Lucas. Second, his arms were still covering his face. Third, his crying was now being controlled or was at least trying to be controlled. _Pity._ The word surfaced in Lucas' mind as the feeling from earlier made itself known again. He had never felt it before and now here it was.

"Ness?" Somehow, it slyly worked its way into his voice and he winced at the evident ruth that Ness was sure to notice and get more worked up about. He needed someone's support, his best friend's, not their pity.

"I'm sorry Lucas. I'm sorry that I'm the way that I am. I can't help it..." Ness started quietly and broken and finished even more so, trailing off to somewhere distant.

"Ness, I understand," Lucas reached out and placed his hand on Ness' shoulder before continuing, "I know you can't help it but I can help you, just-"

Lucas paused when Ness turned over slowly and removed his arms. His face was wet with previous tears and current tears, eyes bloodshot and crazed, like his scratchy voice as it picked up on volume for the first time that night.

"How can you understand? How can you help?" Ness asked with dark sincerity and when no answer was given except for a down-cast look, he turned over again to face the wall silently. He continued to cry but refused to make it known.

Lucas' mouth opened and closed baiting an answer. But nothing came. Instead, he slowly and cautiously turned the light off blanketing the room in twilight once again. He leaned over to where Ness was lying and hovered above him for a second before he softly placed a kiss on the messy bed-head hair and whispered, "I don't understand and I don't know how to help. But you can tell me how to help you and I'll do it in a heartbeat."

Lucas waited for a response and when no move was made, he sat back up against the headboard before reluctantly stroking Ness' hair. He felt him physically loosen up under his careful hand but he wasn't sure about how he was mentally holding up. After a couple of minutes of head-stroking, Ness turned over and in one quick and quiet motion, moved closer to Lucas, loosely placed his arm over Lucas' mid-section and cuddled his side. Pausing his ministrations for only a half-second, Lucas revelled in the trust Ness was giving him. Sleepily, Ness lifted his head a little higher to see Lucas' outline in the shadows. That was the one thing that never scared him about the dark.

"I know how you can help with this, Lucas..." Ness murmured with some confidence.

"What is it?"

Ness tugged at Lucas' shirt who eventually got the hint and moved to lie down next to his friend who resumed his previous position. Their eyes were adjusted to the dark and they could blearily make out each other's features. Staring into Lucas' blue eyes Ness voiced lowly, "Please don't leave."

Lucas nodded and accepted Ness' head onto his upper arm invoking a calm rest for both children that night.

* * *

This took about an hour. Is that good? Also, do you like my picture? The idea of a child who can use psychic powers to defeat evil and can defeat enemies with a baseball bat is pretty extraordinary. The image of said boy frolicking gaily increases his value.


End file.
